Using Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing in Your Business
Entrepreneurship should be accessible to everyone.
Making this a reality in our lifetime requires intentional action from each of us.
One way I’ve explored making entrepreneurship more accessible in my own work has been offering equitable sliding scale pricing at different points over the years.
At the present time, I’ve decided not to bring this pricing model through from my previous work as a business strategist, I am continuing to explore ways that this model or other accessible pricing models can work within my new business— Haas Design & Strategy.
Since launching my own Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing several years ago, I’ve gotten many messages from other service providers who found my website page talking about it and built their own version equitable sliding scale from the mine and/or the resources I shared. So with launching my new website, I decided to bring the content from my old website’s pricing page into a blog post that can continue to inspire and support entrepreneurs and small business owners through sharing a roadmap for a practical accessible pricing model.
So, what follows is the original content sharing more about the sliding scale pricing model I used, along with guidance in supporting your clients in choosing their pricing tier, and acknowledgment for the other trailblazing entrepreneurs who inspired and supported me as I put this together in my own business.
Money is energy and we are meant to enter into energetic exchanges with one another.
Part of this New Paradigm we are building is one where we can choose to enter into fair, equitable energetic exchanges with one another that allow each of us to be comfortably supported in doing the work our Soul came here to do.
So my intention and desire in offering this pricing model was two-fold— first, to make my own work accessible to as many entrepreneurs as possible and second, to build a sustainable business that was able to support me financially as a full-time entrepreneur.
PLEASE NOTE
What follows is the information exactly as I presented it on my own business pricing page for my clients. The language references this as the current pricing model, though I am not currently using sliding scale pricing here at Haas Design & Strategy (I share more details and reflections about this at the bottom of this post).
Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing
So, what do I mean when I say “Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing?”
First, Sliding Scale. Borrowing language from Hadassah Damien: “It means you select the cost you pay according to what you understand about your financial situation. It’s not simple, and more than just your current income is involved.”
Next, Equitable. Borrowing a definition from an article published over on Independent Sector (which is co-authored by Erika Hines, whom I greatly respect): “Equity is the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems, as well as in their distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.”
And lastly, Pricing. I debated whether or not pricing needed to be specifically stated in the name Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing, so I considered leaving it off entirely or changing it to “energetic exchange.” But it felt important to name what we were doing here— we’re talking about price. The cost to purchase a service, group experience, or digital product from me.
Though the phrase “energetic exchange” often feels less loaded to say or write, it can also be a way we by-pass what we are really talking about— an exchange inside a capitalist system. The price. What is the price for my time, energy, and knowledge? How many dollars will you trade to access my time, energy, and knowledge?
So, altogether, we have our Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing.
It is a tool that allows you to determine how many dollars you will trade to access my time, energy, and knowledge in a specific service or offering.
You determine how many dollars you will trade based on your own understanding of your financial situation with some guidance to help you see all the nuance and complexities, while also anchoring it in a broader, more equitable understanding of our Collective economic reality.
Then, after considering all of this, you choose which pricing tier you will pay in exchange for your service or offering.
The Five Tiers
When I offered this in my own business, I settled on providing 5 different pricing tiers to anchor our Equitable Sliding Scale into tangible tiers clients could choose from. I called my tiers:
Stream - Overflowing Abundance
River - Abundance
Delta - Comfortable
Lake - Making It Work
Sea - Opportunities to Be Supported
There is no hierarchy of any pricing tier being “better” than another pricing tier, so I chose to name each one after a randomly assigned body of water to give them more neutral titles. The only hierarchy in the list is that it is ordered from the largest financial exchange to the lowest.
I welcome everyone to select the tier that is the most aligned with your individual financial reality and that takes into consideration any marginalization from our current system that has shaped that reality.
Self-Guided Statements
Corresponding with each tier is a list of statements.
These statements are meant to help guide you through identifying which tier you will use when you pay for an offering that’s part of our Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing.
A few things to note about the statements:
They are meant to serve as a guide only. You know your financial reality better than anyone else, so use the statements to help guide you into the intention of each tier and then choose which one feels most in alignment for you at this time.
They are not exhaustive or complete. There are lots of experiences and situations not covered here, so place yourself as you best can, while being honest and self-loving.
Everyone’s financial reality is complex and that is okay! It’s okay to use the statements as a guide to understanding the tiers and then feel into where your financial reality actually fits.
Working through these statements is a beautiful opportunity to examine the resources you have and the resources you don’t have, while asking yourself to look at your financial situation holistically and generationally.
Choosing Your Tier
Below are 5 different Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing tiers, each with its own set of statements that you can use as a guide in choosing which tier you’ll use as we work together at this time.
Read through the statements for each tier, then see which set of statements you answered “yes” or “true” to the most times. That is likely the tier you’ll use.
I also acknowledge that we live in a Capitalist society that was built from unthinkable harm done to Indigenous people and Black people. Our country and its Capitalist economy have continued to grow and profit off the abuse, murder, and exploitation of these communities.
So you will see statements about racial identity included below because I want to provide the opportunity for Indigenous entrepreneurs, Black entrepreneurs, and other entrepreneurs of color to access my services at a more equitable energetic exchange.
Additionally, similar space is offered to entrepreneurs in the LGBTQ+ community and other historically marginalized communities who who have also faced discrimination and exploitation.
Explore the Self-Guided Statements for Each Tier
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Choose this pricing option if many of the following are true for you:
I have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education, gender identity privilege, racial privilege, class background and privilege, age, ability, etc. Even if you are not currently exercising your full earning power, I ask you to recognize this as a choice.
I make over $125k/year OR I make a high income relative to others in my city or area.
I comfortably meet all of my basic needs and all or most of my financial wants.
I own the home I live in or rent a home that I am able to pay for with ease or someone else pays my rent/mortgage.
I own or lease the vehicle that I drive.
I have expendable income and can buy new items, experiences, and services with ease.
I have access to family money and resources in times of need.
I live at least partially off unearned income.
I have savings, investments, retirement accounts, and/or inherited money.
I frequently take trips or vacations without financial uncertainty or burden.
I do not work, work part time, or work for less pay by choice and without financial burden.
My career is stable and moving forward.
I have a degree(s) without needing to take out student loans.
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Choose this pricing option if many of the following are true for you:
I have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education, gender identity privilege, racial privilege, class background and privilege, sexual orientation, age, ability, etc. Even if you are not currently exercising your full earning power, I ask you to recognize this as a choice.
I comfortably meet all of my needs and many of my financial wants.
I own or rent the home I live in and I am able to make all rent/mortgage and utilities payments with ease.
I own, lease, or easily pay a loan on the vehicle that I drive.
I often have expendable income and can usually buy new items, experiences, and services with ease.
I have at least some savings, investments, retirement accounts, and/or inherited money.
I take trips and vacations without financial uncertainty or burden.
My career is stable and moving forward.
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Choose this pricing option if many of the following are true for you:
I make an average income relative others in my city or area (a range may be $40k-$70k/year depending on where you live).
I am able to meet most of my basic needs.
I do not have savings or have very little in my savings.
I have housing stability.
I have some expendable income and can buy some new items, experiences, and services as I want them.
I take occasional trips or vacations.
I have some debt, but still meet my basic needs.
I have few assets.
I sometimes help my family or chosen family with money.
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Choose this pricing option if many of the following are true for you:
I experience discrimination in hiring or pay level due to level of education, gender identity privilege, racial privilege, class background and privilege, sexual orientation, age, ability, etc.
I make a low income relative others in my city or area (a range may be $20k-$40k/year depending on where you live).
I have difficulty meeting my basic needs each month. I am often able to figure it out close to when bills are due or I pay some of my bills late so I can meet other needs that are more of a priority or offer less flexibility.
I currently have housing stability with a property/room that I can afford, but it does not meet all of my needs (example, it is too small for my needs, there are not enough sleeping spaces for my family/roommates, it is located far from where I work and/or go to school, etc.) or I am struggling to keep up with my rent monthly payment.
I have significant debt.
I am currently accruing survival credit card debt.
I am struggling to pay more than minimums on my debt.
I am living paycheck to paycheck.
I was among the first in my family to go to college.
I have an associates, bachelors, or trade degree and am still paying off my loans.
I have medical expenses not covered by insurance.
I am supporting others with my income (children, other dependents, family members, etc).
I have no assets or am making payments on my assets.
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Choose this pricing option if many of the following are true for you:
I experience discrimination in hiring or pay level due to level of education, gender identity, racial identity, class background, sexual orientation, age, ability, etc.
I make a much lower income relative others in my city or area (a range may be $0-$25k/year depending on where you live).
I’m sick or disabled and that impacts my ability to work / earn money.
I do not meet most or all of my basic needs or there is significant uncertainty from month to month about if I will be able to meet my basic needs.
I have housing instability or am unhoused.
I rent a room/property that is the best I can afford, but it is unsafe, not well maintained, too small for my family/those I live with, has unresolved/unaddressed issues that impact my health or safety, or has inconsistent access to basic utilities like water and electricity.
I have significant debt.
I am currently accruing survival credit card debt.
I have medical expenses not covered by insurance.
I am supporting children, have other dependents, or provide financial support for other family members or chosen family members.
I am eligible for public assistance.
Sometimes I experience stretches of time when food is not readily and easily available.
I have no family or access to supportive family.
I have no assets or am making payments on my assets.
I have immigration-related expenses.
I am an elder with limited financial support.
I am an unpaid community organizer.
I am a returning citizen who has been denied work due to incarceration history.
If many of the statements in the Sea Pricing Tier resonate for you, I also encourage you to reach out to me. As I am able to with the flow in this pricing structure, I open up free spaces in my intuitive readings, groups experiences, and workshops.
At a minimum, I offer one free intuitive reading each month for someone in the Sea Pricing Tier with a focus on supporting BIPOC, LGBTQ+ folks, and women.
As You Choose Your Tier….
I ask that you consider racial privilege, relative earning potential, and access to financial support from your family/network, even if you currently have financial need.
Making It Work
Sustainability
For this model to be sustainable for me and for my business, it needs most people to self-select in the “regular fee” range, which is the Delta tier.
And then when a few people and organizations with more resources select a higher exchange through the Stream or River tiers, that offsets and supports lower sliding scale exchanges of the Lake and Sea tiers.
Basically, the Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing works as it should— 1) everyone being able to pay what they truly can and 2) it overall working out to be about average pricing with more people having access to services than before.
Why It Doesn’t Work Sometimes
This is an experiment, one I truly believe can work for our community.
As I have been researching alternative business models, alternative energetic exchanges, and alternative pricing models, I have encountered some truly inspiring examples and some descriptions and posts from their creators that are truly inspiring.
But, I have also encountered several incredibly helpful posts about conceptualizing and creating sliding scales or alternative pricing models, only to then see that the business owner no longer uses the alternative model or sliding scale they created because it never quite balanced out.
Citing Hadassah Damien again: “Often we find that folks who’ve experienced early-life abundance who are *currently temporarily scarce* select lower on the scale than people who’ve experienced early-life scarcity who are temporarily abundant. That’s not what’s supposed to happen — and it doesn’t create a sustainable practice for the practitioner.”
All of the business owners I encountered who were no longer using their alternative business model or sliding scale pricing said similar things— “It didn’t work out the way I had intended,” “It never did quite average out,” or “It wasn’t be used the way I had intended.”
I want this Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing to work for us— me, you, and our whole community.
So for it to work, that means each of us need to use it honestly, fairly, and equitably. I’ll do the same— honoring the energetic exchanges that come in at all tiers equally, continuing to update and tweak this page as I feel it’s helpful for us, and transparently sharing how it’s going.
Credit to Others
Spirit intervened and brought me to the work of Rachel Ricketts, which included her Fee Philosophy.
Rachel adopted her language from others, so I followed the links and read more about how each of them are bringing more fair, equitable, and alternative energetic exchanges and business models into their work.
I have returned several times to the Ride Free Fearless Money, who Rachel linked to within her Fee Philosophy, and find Hadassah Damien‘s work brilliant. You can read her incredibly informative and supportive post about implementing a Sliding Scale here and see her sliding scale model in action here.
Personal Reflections
As noted above, my intention and desire in offering this pricing model was two-fold— first, to make my own work accessible to as many entrepreneurs as possible and second, to build a sustainable business that was able to support me financially as a full-time entrepreneur.
Personally, the sliding scale did make my work more accessible to more entrepreneurs, which really felt good as I was able to connect with more entrepreneurs through my sessions. More was possible and that continues to motivate me to find ways to bring the next incarnation of equitable pricing and access to my business.
My second goal of this pricing model allowing me to experience financial stability as a full-time entrepreneur was not fully realized. I haven’t given up on this goal, rather I am allowing myself to learn from my initial efforts and evolve how I create, connect, and work with the continued goal being accessibility and sustainability. I’ll continue updating this post with any new insights, ideas, or resources to support us all as we continue on our journeys to creating equitable and accessible pricing.
An important reflection for anyone wanting to implement their own equitable pricing in their business— I haven’t gone back to compile any stats from how the sliding scale was used, though observationally, clients booked a good blend of my 5 tiers. It felt that the numbers did “work out” in the end, meaning the number of clients booking the more expensive tiers balanced the clients booking the least expensive tiers. For my own model, the Delta Tier was what I would offer each session/service for at non-sliding scale pricing so it was roughly the average needed per session for the pricing model to be sustainable. With what was booked, we came close.
That being said, I did feel that some of my existing clients were confused by the new pricing model particularly as many of them were not familiar with many of the concepts the pricing model touched on like equity, accessibility, entrepreneurship in capatalism, decolonization, etc. I did make efforts to gently educate in the context of the new pricing and why I was choosing to implement, but I absolutely could have done more before, during, and after shifting to the Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing. Again, this is part of the lessons I’m continuing to reflect on as I revisit how to bring accessible pricing and services back into my work.
My hope and intention continues to be that we do find a way to make this different approach to pricing and energetic exchanges work for each of us, our clients, and our communities as a whole.
Though my own initial efforts have been paused, I know many of you reading this will be able to implement your own versions with abundant success.
If you have any questions about our Equitable Sliding Scale Pricing, I am happy to connect. You can send me a message here.
